Nightmares
by ThePensAndTheSwords
Summary: A late night conversation between Percy and Annabeth on the Argo II (between House of Hades and Blood of Olympus). One shot.


Percy and Annabeth carefully made their way through the dark cavern. The air was cold and smelled like dust and rock. With every step, the floor creaked under them in protest. There were already several spots where it had caved in, leaving holes the size of cars. Above them, sunlight shone through the cracks in the ceiling, casting an eerie, golden glow on everything it touched. The place was covered in cobwebs. Arachne's massive, woven tapestries hung from the walls.

As they walked, Percy heard a noise. It started out as whispering, so soft he thought he was imagining it. He froze. Judging from the look she gave him, Annabeth could hear it too. Slowly, the voices grew louder. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but it sounded like some sort of chanting and it was coming from below their feet.

"Let's get out of here," Percy said.

They started back towards the ship. Suddenly, Annabeth cried out and collapsed. She was being dragged her backwards, straight towards the edge.

"Annabeth!" he yelled. He tried to grab her hand, but something was pulling him back. Confused, he looked down. There were thin pieces of thread wrapped around his wrists,  
ankles, and waist—spider silk, he realized.

"Percy, help me!" Annabeth cried.

He tried desperately to yank free, but it seemed like the more he struggled, the more tangled he became. The voices were shouting now but a single laugh cut through the commotion, reverberating through the cavern. " _If I go to Tartarus, then so will you!_ " Arachne cackled. The voice was sweet, almost sickeningly so.

"No!" Percy screamed, hopelessly thrashing against the spider webs.

Annabeth's eyes were wide with fear. She clawed at the ground but there was nothing to hold onto. Tears streamed down her face. She knew what was about to happen as well as he did: she was going to fall, and there was nothing he could do to save her.

Arachne's bellowing laugh shook the entire cavern. Helpless, he watched as Annabeth slipped over the edge.

Percy woke up to the sound of someone screaming.

In an instant, Riptide was in his hand. His heart was pounding like a drum inside his chest. The cavern had disappeared and he was in his bunk in the Argo II. _It was just a nightmare,_ he told himself.

"Percy!" a voice shrieked.

 _Annabeth._

He sprang to his feet, racing down the hallway to his girlfriend's room. The light was on. Ever since they'd returned, she had refused to sleep in the dark; he hadn't asked her about it but Percy guessed it was a result of her temporary blindness in Tartarus.

He found her asleep, writhing in her bed. Her sheets were strewn on the floor. "No!" she cried.

Percy ran to her side, shaking her shoulder gently. "Annabeth, wake up!" he said.

Annabeth's eyes shot open and she bolted upright. Her hair was plastered to her face with sweat. She looked around frantically, fresh tears on her cheeks. The only sound in the  
room was her labored breathing.

"It's okay," Percy told her. "You're safe. It was just a dream."

Slowly, she seemed to take in her surroundings. As soon as she registered he was there, Annabeth practically melted into his arms, burying her face in his chest.

"The _arai_ ," she sobbed. "They held me down. They made me watch you die."

He stroked her curls gently. She was trembling in his arms. "I'm right here," he assured her. Percy held her close, drinking in the fact that she was there, breathing in the scent of her lemon soap. He silently promised himself that he would never let her go again. Annabeth cried until she couldn't cry anymore and then she was quiet for a long time. As she calmed down, he could feel her heart begin to slow.

It was Annabeth who broke the silence. "You should have just let me fall," she whispered, her voice raw from crying.

He frowned. "How can you say that?"

"You almost died because of me," she said. " _I_ was the one taunted her. _I_ was the one who let my pride get the best of me and you're the one who had to suffer for it. You didn't deserve to go through that."

Annabeth rarely allowed anyone to see her true feelings, not even him; she hid them behind her stormy eyes and an icy expression. Over the years, Percy had learned to see through her mask, but tonight, the facade had shattered. He had never seen her look so broken, so vulnerable. Anyone could've seen the pain in her eyes, which were puffy and red from crying. Her face was so gaunt and ghost-like, it reminded him of Nyx's death mist.

"Listen to me," he said firmly. "Don't you dare blame yourself, Annabeth. None of this is your fault. I did what I did because I don't know what I would do without you. Do you know  
what my nightmare was about tonight?"

She shook her head.

"It was about not reaching you in time," Percy told her. "I promised you: Never separated again, remember? I meant it." He pressed his forehead to hers, his eyes closed. His voice broke. "I would go through it all again if I had to. If I lost you, I would never be able to forgive myself."

Percy had come close to losing her more times than he cared to count. Just thinking about it made him feel sick. He would be lost without her (literally and figuratively). She was  
so much more than his girlfriend; she was his best friend. Annabeth was a part of him—an important part. He knew it was cliché, but he _needed_ her. He needed her like his body needed oxygen to breath.

She looked at him with those gorgeous gray eyes and said, "I would _never_ leave you."

And then she kissed him. It was a breath-taking, heart-wrenching, brain-melting kind of kiss. When she finally pulled away, he was numb.

"I love you," she told him.

Percy grinned. "I love you too."

Annabeth took his hands in her own. "Will you stay in here with me tonight?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said. "Yeah, of course. I'll take the floor."

"You don't have to sleep on the floor, Seaweed Brain," she said.

Percy hesitated. "Are you sure?"

She smiled to herself. "As long as you promise not to drool all over my pillow."

For the first time in a long time, Percy laughed. "I promise."

He crawled under the covers beside her. They were so close, he could feel her breath on his nose. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her

Annabeth sighed. "I just thought that once we got out, the worst would be over, you know? I thought things would go back to normal."

"Things _will_ go back to normal. It'll take time, Annabeth, but I promise we'll get through  
this. As long as we're together."

And laying there next to her, he truly believed it. He knew they had a long road ahead, but things would get better for them; he was sure of it. He looked at her. Her blonde hair was an unsightly bush on top of her head. She was visibly exhausted, but even so, Percy thought she looked beautiful.

Annabeth closed her eyes. "Goodnight, Percy."

He kissed her forehead gently. "Goodnight, Wise Girl," he whispered.

Percy couldn't remember the last time he had slept so well.


End file.
